Pam Jenson WSTI Coordinator

 The Skills to Pay the Bills Curriculum was created by the Office of Disability Employment Policy within the Department of Labor (ODEP)  The content of this presentation was adapted from the Skills to Pay the Bills power point presentation also created by the Office of Disability Employment Policy.

 Explain how and why the curriculum was developed and the project design features  Discuss the results of using the curriculum  Share the Skills to Pay the Bills curriculum  Highlight Resources Coming Soon from ODEP

 71% said answering a cell phone or texting during an interview  69% said dressing inappropriately  66% said appearing arrogant  59% said chewing gum

 Businesses across the nation have identified soft skills as crucial to the hiring and employment success of all workers.  According to recent surveys, nearly three- quarters of employers indicated high school graduates were deficient in such basic skills as punctuality, verbal communication and working productively with others.  Building on these results, ODEP sought to create an inclusive and dynamic curriculum to address these deficiencies.

 Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success is a curriculum developed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)  Focused on teaching workforce readiness skills to youth including youth with disabilities  Created for youth development professionals to use when working with youth ages 14-24, in both in-school an out-of-school environments  The tool consists of modular, hands-on engaging activities that focus on six key skill areas

 Through feedback from the field  Quested sites all over the country that work with youth  Wanted to create something that would be used.  Questioned what materials are being used now  Types of activities that have been effective  Type of lesson plans that are used  What type of format works the best for you-what is easy to us  What sites felt about social networking, , texting-did you want this included.  Reached out and asked the hard questions to develop something that would be helpful

 Do you believe youth in your program understand and demonstrate skills in these areas:  Communication: 60%  Enthusiasm and Teamwork: 81%  Teamwork: 58%  Networking: 0%  Problem Solving and Critical Thinking: 50%

 Flexible lesson design  Structure for instructors  Minimal lecture/reading  Maximal interaction

 With and without disability  GED-Career Prep  Primary language other than English

 Yuck! Where do you guys come up with this stuff?  It was kind of boring… but not the worst thing I’ve ever done.  Eh… it was ok  It was pretty good.  It was AWESOME! I even learned something new.

 Changes in student behaviors  Students eagerly partook in exercises  Liked hands on activities  Role-play was a favorite  Networking activities were beneficial for students and parents.  Friendships developed  Team leaders emerged  Students started having fun while learning

 Do you believe youth in your program understand and demonstrate skills in these areas: ◦ Communication – from 60% to 100% ◦ Enthusiasm and Teamwork – from 81% to 100% ◦ Teamwork – from 58% to 100% ◦ Networking - from 0% to 100% ◦ Problem Solving & Critical Thinking – from 50% to 100%

 All activities are structured as follows:  JUST THE FACTS: This is the basic purpose of the activity – plain and simple – and is intended to be a brief description for the instructor.  Time: A suggested time frame is offered for planning purposes. Of course, as activities are altered or modified for various reasons, times may invariably change.

 Materials: A list of suggested materials for the activity is provided. The goal of the basic activity is to keep materials to a minimum.  Directions: Directions, including sample scripts, are offered for convenience. You are encouraged to adapt or modify these activities to better resonate with your particular audience, as these activities offer an opportunity to tackle some difficult issues and conversations.

 Conclusion: The conclusion is a guide to engage participants in a thoughtful conversation. The goal of this dialogue is to encourage independent ideas and reasoning.  Journaling Activity: Journaling questions are offered as a way to incorporate personal reflection using an individualized means of expression. Participants should be encouraged to choose a form of journaling that feels right for them, while also being supported to “test the waters” with a technique that might stretch a traditional comfort zone.  Extension Activity: An extension activity is offered for facilitators who wish to continue the topic. This activity may involve the use of technology, field trips, research, and more.

 Communication  Enthusiasm/Attitude  Teamwork  Networking  Problem solving/Critical Thinking  Professionalism

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 Many forms including verbal, written, and visual  Important to develop skills in both communicating TO others, and learning how to receive info. FROM others  Employers routinely list communication skills as a top-rated “must have” skill  Focus areas include information transfer and recognition

 Communication skills are necessary for self advocacy, self determination and life long skills of youth today.

Listen Hear - Communication

This section teaches:  The importance of enthusiasm and having a positive attitude.  Turning negative thinking into positive thinking.

 “I can” attitude is a critical component of workplace success  Smiling, punctuality, eye contact and desire to learn are traits of a positive attitude  Positive attitude can mean the difference between getting hired and fired  Focus areas include positive thinking and enthusiasm during interviews.

 Viewing positive and negative attitudes  Bounce back from failure  Success and failure  Getting the job with a positive attitude  Role play.

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 Working cooperatively  Contributing to groups with ideas, suggestions, and effort  Communication  Sense of responsibility  Healthy respect for different opinions, customs and individual preferences  Ability to participate in group decision-making

 Each individual plays a role in team success  Cooperation, responsibility, communication are key items in an effective team  Employers value team players  Focus areas include positive teamwork behavior and understanding roles

 Identifying individual strengths and needs  Increasing confidence  Barriers to effective teamwork  Strategies to positive teamwork  Roles of a team  Identifying personality types  How teamwork is managed on the job

 There is no “I” in Team- p.58

 “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”  Essential strategy for career development and exploration  Networking is key to unlocking the “hidden job market”  80% of available jobs are not advertised (Cornell University’s Career Center)  Focus areas include taking initiative and overcoming fear

 Focused on the process of networking and its relevance and importance to career development.  Taking initiative and overcoming fear.  The 3 P’s-Prepare, Practice and Pull Yourself Together!  Social Media Networking

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 The ability to use knowledge, facts and data to solve problems  The process is as important as the final answer  Employers value ability to develop solution  Focus areas include ethical decision-making and problem solving in a team setting

 Differences between criticism, praise an feedback.  Values and standards  Workplace ethics  Working together to solve problems  Perception and Reality  Thinking on your feet

 Professionalism is the key to success, regardless of industry  Employers value those who carry out duties in a professional manner  Quality work, honesty and integrity are key facets of the “total package”  Focus areas include molding soft skills together

 Employer’s want new workers to be responsible, ethical, and team oriented, and communication, interpersonal, and problem solving skills. Wrap these skills up all together and you’ve got PROFESSIONALISM.

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 Skills to Pay the Bills web-based game ◦ December of 2012 ◦ A web based game teaching youth soft skills and career awareness through a story based game- create an avatar.

 Tell us how you use the curriculum at:  To download in English or Spanish, please go to:

Help your students gain the skills they need to be productive in today’s workforce Skills to Pay the Bills